Over £2,700 was raised to support humanitarian aid in Ukraine through a 24-hour walk covering more than 50 miles around a Norfolk village.

The Hethersett Sunflower for Ukraine walk saw Kim Rout, from Hethersett, and friend Lois Ware, from Grimston, set off from the centre of the village and walk for an entire day, stopping only for the occasional break and sustenance.

They were joined at various points by friends and residents and the walk took them through Hethersett and to Wymondham. They covered over 50 miles and said they were overcome by the response, support and generosity of everyone they came across.

“One motorist drove around looking for us and when he found us donated £40,” Ms Rout said.

The duo kept followers up to date with their progress via a Facebook link and admitted the marathon had been tough both physically and mentally but they had been determined to finish – something they achieved with the support of over 60 friends for the last hour of the walk.

The total raised is likely to increase with donations still coming in. It will be sent to the Charity Ukraine organisation which usually supports underprivileged children, but which is now involved in humanitarian relief.

The weekend was a busy one for Hethersett’s support of Ukraine. Tesco Express was the collection point for village donations.

Within hours of making an appeal on social media, three cages of goods including toiletries, medical supplies, torches and canned food had been donated. The idea of a village collection came from resident Linda Jones who works for Norwich-based company ARC Group Ltd.

“ARC wanted to do something to support Ukraine. Living in Hethersett, I contacted Tesco and they were very keen to support,” said Ms Jones.

The co-ordination of the donations was undertaken by Tesco employee Sarah Lawrence who is also a Hethersett parish councillor and involved in a number of other village groups.

The cages full of goods were due to be taken to a UK port on Monday and then transferred on to lorries to travel through Poland for distribution within Ukraine.

Are you raising funds for a good cause? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk to let us know.